Picture processing apparatus, using screen change parameters representing a high degree of screen change

Abstract

An MPEG1 real time encoder board generates index data as an evaluation value representing the complexity of a picture. A scene change parameter representing the degree of a scene change occurring in the picture is then calculated from the index data. The scene change parameter is associated with a scene change pointer, that is, position information on a location of the picture in which a scene change occurs to a degree indicated by the scene change parameter. The scene change parameter and the scene change pointer are recorded as an index in an index file. On the other hand, an MPEG system stream output by the MPEG1 real time encoder board is stored in an MPEG file separated from the index file.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A picture processing apparatus for processing a picture comprising: 
       a computing means for computing a scene change parameter representing a degree of a scene change in said picture;  
       a recording means for recording said scene change parameter and position information indicating a position at which a scene change occurs with a degree of a scene change thereof represented by said scene change parameter by associating said scene change parameter with said position information;  
       a scene change parameter count setting means for setting a scene change parameter count; and  
       a display means for displaying screens of said pictures at positions indicated by pieces of said position information associated with said scene change parameters representing highest degrees of scene changes wherein the number of screens to be displayed does not exceed said scene change parameter count set by using said scene change parameter count setting means.  
     
     
       2. A picture processing apparatus for processing a picture comprising: 
       a computing means for computing a scene change parameter representing a degree of a scene change in said picture;  
       a recording means for recording said scene change parameter and position information indicating a position at which a scene change occurs with a degree of a scene change thereof represented by said scene change parameter by associating said scene change parameter with said position information;  
       a range setting means for setting a range to be searched for a scene change parameter representing a highest degree of a scene change among scene changes in said range; and  
       a display means for searching each range set by said range setting means for a specific scene change parameter representing a highest degree of a scene change among scene changes in said range and displaying a screen of said picture at a position indicated by said position information associated with said specific scene change parameter.  
     
     
       3. A picture processing method for processing a picture comprising the steps of: 
       computing a scene change parameter representing a degree of a scene change in said picture;  
       recording said scene change parameter and position information indicating a position at which a scene change occurs with a degree of a scene change thereof represented by said scene change parameter by associating said scene change parameter with said position information;  
       setting a scene change parameter count; and  
       displaying screens of said pictures at positions indicated by pieces of said position information associated with said scene change parameters representing highest degrees of scene changes wherein the number of screens to be displayed does not exceed said scene change parameter count set by using said scene change parameter count setting means.  
     
     
       4. A recording medium for storing a program to cause a computer to process a picture, wherein said program prescribes a picture processing method comprising the steps of: 
       computing a scene change parameter representing a degree of a scene change in said picture;  
       recording said scene change parameter and position information indicating a position at which a scene change occurs with a degree of a scene change thereof represented by said scene change parameter by associating said scene change parameter with said position information;  
       setting a scene change parameter count; and  
       displaying screens of said pictures at positions indicated by pieces of said position information associated with said scene change parameters representing highest degrees of scene changes wherein the number of screens to be displayed does not exceed said scene change parameter count set by using said scene change parameter count setting means.